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WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1988
"THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF UNIFORMED YOUTH ORGANISATIONS, SUCH AS THE SCOUTS AND GUIDES WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND SENSE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, MR CHAMBERS CONTINUED.
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IN ADDITION, SOCIAL WORKERS WORKING AT DISTRICT LEVEL PROMOTE ESTABLISHMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF SMALLER INDEPENDENT YOUTH
THE GROUPS.
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ON THE NEED TO HELP STUDENTS WITH SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT UNDER THE SUBVENTED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMME OPERATED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE SERVED BY SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AT A RATIO OF ONE SOCIAL WORKER FOR EVERY 3,000 STUDENTS.
THIS RATIO WAS IMPROVED RECENTLY, AND A FURTHER REVIEW WOULD TAKE PLACE LATER THIS YEAR.
FOR THOSE YOUTHS WHO COULD NOT BE REACHED BY SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS, MR CHAMBERS SAID A NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES PROVIDED AN OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK SERVICE.
AT PRESENT, THERE WERE 18 OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK TEAMS WHICH OPERATED IN AREAS WHICH SUCH YOUNG PEOPLE WERE KNOWN TO FREQUENT.
"THESE TEAMS IDENTIFY AND MAKE DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUTH WHO IN NEED OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING OR OTHER SOCIAL WORK SERVICES, MR CHAMBERS SAID.
ARF
"THE OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK SERVICE HAS ACHIEVED ENCOURAGING RESULTS AND IT IS INTENDED THAT IT SHOULD BE EXPANDED ADDITION OF SIX MORE TEAMS DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS."
THROUGH THE
TURNING TO YOUNG OFFENDERS, MR CHAMBERS SAID IN CASES OF MINOR OFFENCES WHERE A PROBATION OFFICER CONSIDERED RESIDENTIAL TRAINING INAPPROPRIATE, AN OFFENDER WAS OFTEN PLACED ON A NON-RESIDENTIAL PROBATION ORDER AND REQUIRED TO UNDERGO COUNSELLING AND ANY OTHER SPECIAL TREATMENT CONSIDERED NECESSARY.
ALTERNATIVELY, A COURT MAY MAKE A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER WIELCH REQUIRES THE OFFENDER TO PERFORM UNPAID WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY," HE SAID.
THE
UNDER A TWO-YEAR PILOT SCHEME IN THREE MAGISTRACIES, COMMUNITY ORDER APPROACH WOULD BE ASSESSED WHEN THE PILOT SCHEME WAS COMPLETED AND A DECISION TAKEN WHETHER TO EXTEND THE ARRANGEMENTS
TO ALL MAGISTRACIES.
LS PROVING QUITE
SO FAR THE INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS SCHEME SUCCESSFUL, AND IS BEING WELL USED BY THE COURTS," HE NOTED.
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